Product Description

Your pulse races as diamond fever rises. No wonder: the adventurers delve into the cave, which is sparkling with diamonds, and try to bring our as many jewels as possible. But uncanny dangers and malicious researchers play an evil game in the cave. Now you must flee or risk everything in order to win with the largest treasure.

Product Reviews

This game has one of the best qualities that I love in a game.
Easy for the whole family to pick up. The mechanics are very
simple, but they work beautifully. If you are looking for a bluffing
game that has a very distinct flavor to it this is it. So grab a bag
of chips and get your friends because this game is an intense riot!

I like bidding games, and this one is perfect
for a quick play without complicated rules. The
theme, vaguely reminiscent of "Indiana
Jones," makes it a game people will want to
play right away when they see it.

The rules are easy to learn, and while the
strategy is thin, you do have to decide when
to opt out of the bidding, much like the dice
game Can't Stop.

Players choose an explorer that's used only
for a fist-bid when they want to claim their
jewels.

The player collecting the most jewels in five
rounds of play wins. What's interesting about
the game is the decision on when to claim
your jewels.

A card is played with either a number (1-17)
representing jewels discovered or a hazard
(poison gas, explosion, snake, scorpion, rock
slide). Players bid simultaneously on staying in
for another card turn or opt out and claim the
jewels. Example: When a 12 card is played
and there are 4 players, each player receives
3 jewels. In situations where there are excess
jewels after equal disbursement -- a common
occurrence -- the remainder go on the card.

After several rounds of play, the remaining
jewels sitting on cards can add up to quite a
stash, further enticement to stay in the
bidding as the harzard cards pile up. When a
second similar hazard card is drawn, people
still bidding lose everything.

Fairly often you have situations where the
hazard cards come out to start play and it's
obvious that you will continue bidding, so you
have to go through the motion of making a fist
bid anyway.

This is a fine, fun filler for gamers, but it is invaluable as a game
that families can play together or gamers can play with non-gamers.
The game is very simple to teach and moves very quickly. A typical
game is over in 20 minutes or less, which is great for folks who are
new to games or whose attention span is short.

What's great is that most folks will want to play more than once after
they've played the game. And since the game is more about testing your
nerve than any real strategic thinking, everyone is on a pretty level
playing field.

I've played this with kids, with hard-core gamers and with non-gamers
and it's gotten a universally positive reception.

I haven't given it a 5 because to me that should be reserved for the
rarest of titles, but don't let that deter you - Diamant is a great title.